Attachment Disorder

Attachment Disorder   I have not attended many trainings, and I know there isn’t much training out there. And what’s current? The list of behaviors probably doesn’t change much. What is the connection with ACES - Adverse Childhood Experiences.  I went to a luncheon with a man who was a nationally respected doctor who helped organize, sponsor, collect data from studies. The conclusion was that HOPE - positive experiences can help overcome some of the negative. A perfect example is a little girl who was in a bombing in Syria - she has been exposed to horrific ACEs. But if she is surrounded by loving family, has been transferred to a safe environment, has a positive experience in the refugee camp, then her ACEs will not have as much negative affect on her adult life, including illnesses, etc. The talk did not focus on attachment, behaviors, etc. There were many CASA workers there, and a CASA worker’s job is to work with foster kids and make sure their case gets ...

Hi - so I'm still working and I haven't seen a lot of changes in the mental health environment.  I don't like it.  A lot of it is due to the economy - perhaps things will improve in the future.  I also live in the midwest and that area is not recovering quickly, and Illinois is broke, so... My heart goes out to the many families struggling with these difficult children but that aren't getting a lot of help.  I am available for services but families having money to pay for them is a problem, and DCFS seems to claim they cannot pay. I am working on youtube videos and a  book which may help out there.  Perhaps there will be other ways to get services out there.  I am also available for online counseling services, phone counseling, etc.  There are other ways.  You can also email me at  appell4@gmail.com if you have questions and my phone is 815-398-8422. And my website is here . 

The economy sure has an impact on the families that have adopted children with attachment disorder.  The services are more difficult to get and finances and promises that were made when children were adopted are no longer being kept.  "They are your problem now" seems to be the demeanor.  I am sorry to see people in power act the way they are.  It seems I have provided a great deal of service because of my ethics and would probably do so again.  I wish more people felt that way.  Check out my website. So I want you to know you aren't alone out there, that there are those of us who care.  Unfortunately, free services are hard to come by, and maintain.  1.There is federal money in some adoption preservation programs, so you might want to look for them in your area - those are free.  2. For those of you with the medical card for the children, I'm sorry to say that there is not much specific to attachment disorder.  Your only options are...

I checked out the stats on my blog and was blown away when I saw that there are visitors from all over the world.  The good news is that there is an awareness of Attachment Disorder all over the world.  How much so, I do not know.  I have a friend who lives in France and is a therapist, but she says they are just glad to be addressing the ADHD issue, while here, we are seeing many more psychological issues with children, those adopted internationally and locally within the states.  Again, even as in the states, people do not want to see Attachment Disorder, or they want to call it something else like "conduct disorder" or oppositional defiance disorder, among other things.  But then I say, what's at the source of that diagnosis - where does the behavior come from.  When I study the abandonment issues, and understanding attachment and early child development, the theories behind how attachment disorder develops, and how children's brains and personalities de...